Before sometime in March1996, he lived with the colony in the Forbidden Forest, on the borders of Hogwarts in Scotland. In 1992, Firenze came across Harry Potter in the forest and saved him from Lord Voldemort, frightening him away and carrying Harry on his back to safety. Despite his heroics, his herd saw this as a dishonourable act, as they considered themselves too great to be ridden by humans. About four years later, in March 1996, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, hired Firenze to teach Divination in Sybill Trelawney's stead, after she was sacked by Dolores Umbridge. But once again, his colony attacked and banished him, and would have killed him were it not for the intervention of Rubeus Hagrid. By the next school year, Trelawney was reinstated as Divination Professor, but because of Firenze's situation with his colony, Dumbledore allowed them both to continue teaching, though Trelawney was uncomfortable with sharing her classes with a centaur. He also took part in the Battle of Hogwarts, where he was injured, and returned to his colony afterwards, who realised that his pro-human leanings were not shameful.

Contents

Biography

Life with his herd

Bane: "Firenze! What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

Firenze: "Do you realize who this is? This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."

Bane: "What have you been telling him? Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets? […] Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

Firenze: "Do you not see that unicorn? Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

Firenze was, presumably, born to the centaur colony in the Forbidden Forest, and lived part of his life there.[4]

On the night of 26 May, 1992, Hagrid took Harry, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy to their detention in the Forest. Their task was to find out why unicorns were turning up mauled and dead. As Draco and Harry found out, it was Voldemort who, drinking the unicorns' blood, tried to remain alive long enough so that he could drink the Elixir of Life and achieve immortality. As Draco ran away, horrified, the hooded Voldemort turned to face Harry. The pain on his scar made him fall to his knees, but Firenze, coming across the scene, galloped forwards and charged at Voldemort, scaring him away.[4]

Realising how dangerous it would be to let Harry stay in the Forest, he let him on his back so that he could take him to safety. Bane and Ronan, two other centaurs from the colony, arrived there and, while Ronan said he was sure Firenze thought he had been acting for the best, Bane started yelling at him because he regarded it as a despicable action, because a centaur is not for humans to ride. Firenze was angered and, leaving both centaurs behind, carried Harry on his back to safety where he was reunited with Hermione, Neville, Draco and Hagrid.[4]

Life as Hogwarts professor

1995-1996 school year

Parvati Patil: "Professor Trelawney did astrology with us! Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now — that means people need to be extra careful when handling hot things—"

Firenze: "That is human nonsense. Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents, these are of no more significance than the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements."

In March 1996, Dumbledore hired Firenze as Divination teacher when Dolores Umbridge (then-High Inquisitor of Hogwarts) sacked Sybill Trelawney.[3] This resulted in Firenze being cast out of his colony, since agreeing to work for a human was considered a betrayal of their kind. His colony had even attacked him, and might have killed him if not for the intervention of Hagrid. Dumbledore transformed the classroom into a forest-type state for Firenze, and students were requested to lie back and look at the stars on the small enchanted ceiling. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil found him very appealing and looked forward to his lessons even though they liked Professor Trelawney as well.[6]

1996-1997 school year

Sybill Trelawney: "Oh, of course. Or Dobbin, as I prefer to think of him. You would have thought, would you not, that now I am returned to the school Professor Dumbledore might have got rid of the horse? But no… we share classes… It's an insult, frankly, an insult. "

With the departure of the Headmistress Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts at the end of the school year, Professor Trelawney was reinstated by Dumbledore to her post of Divination Professor. Firenze, however, could not return to his still resentful colony, so Dumbledore let him continue teaching Divination alongside Trelawney.[7] Firenze taught the fifth-yearRavenclaws.[1] Sharing classes with Firenze caused Trelawney much consternation, as she considered it an insult to be sharing classes with a "horse".[1] In turn, Firenze did not seem to think much of Trelawney, seeming to find her attempts at Cartomancy "almost comical."[2]

1997-1998 school year and Battle of Hogwarts

"The House tables were gone and the [Great Hall] was crowded. The survivors stood in groups, their arms around each other's necks. The injured were being treated upon the raised platform by Madam Pomfrey and a group of helpers. Firenze was amongst the injured; his flank poured blood and he shook where he lay, unable to stand."

In the evening of 1 May, 1998, Firenze stood with the remaining teachers and members of the Order of the Phoenix who had arrived to fight after Snape's ousting, as Minerva McGonagall talked to students about how the underage among them and those who were not willing to fight were going to be evacuated before the start of the battle that would soon ensue, as Voldemort and his Death Eaters were going to start their attack at midnight.[9] Firenze stayed to fight, and was seriously injured on his flank which poured copious amounts of blood. He was laid on the raised platform at the Great Hall during the hour-long fighting interregnum, and was shaking and unable to stand by himself.[10]

Given his state, it is most likely Firenze did not partake in the second half of the Battle. It is likely, however, that Firenze witnessed the duel between Harry and Voldemort in the Great Hall and Voldemort's final defeat.[11]

A celebration feast was later held, but teachers, parents and students were all jumbled up. Firenze, however, lay recovering in a corner after having received treatment by Madam Pomfrey.[11]

Later life

After the Battle, Firenze was welcomed back into his colony, when they were forced to acknowledge that Firenze's pro-human leanings were not shameful, but honourable.[5]

Personality and traits

Firenze was a courageous centaur who was not as traditional or proud as most of his kind. Whereas most centaurs believed it was shameful to work alongside humans, Firenze was happy to allow Harry to ride him and became a teacher in Hogwarts. Firenze was willing to stand up for what he believed in even if it meant defying his colony; unfortunately this resulted in him nearly being stomped to death by the other centaurs. He was friendly with Hagrid and seemed to get on quite well with Harry, who was on speaking terms with him unlike most students, who found him intimidating. Like all centaurs, Firenze commonly tried to read the future in the stars and Ron considered him to be a slightly better teacher than Sybill Trelawney.

Behind the scenes

In the books, Firenze is said to have silver-blond hair and is even considered handsome by some students. In the Philosopher's Stone film, however, he has dark hair. He doesn't stay with Harry or let him ride on his back either because Hagrid and the others appear straight away.

It is possible that Firenze is based on the legend of Chiron, a centaur from Greek mythology who left his "wild and lusty" brethren to instead teach humans astrology and magic.

In the film of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Firenze is shown to have strinkly, almost glowing amber eyes instead of blue.

Etymology

"Firenze" is the Italian name for the city of Florence. It is interesting to note that Galileo Galilei, one of history's greatest astronomers, lived out his final years there. Firenze's teaching of Divination deals with Astrology and Astronomy, as opposed to Trelawney's fortune-telling, hence this connection.